The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-08-15
THE LESSON OF THE WRECK
Preaching the "Gospel of Routine and
Detail from the Illinois Disaster.
A Forceful Sermon on the Responsibility of
Railroad Managers by Rev. J. A. Rond-
thaler at Tabernacle Church

cent disasters In railroad circles, financial and
physical. which met with a hearty amen from
all the large congregation present He called
his subject the Gospel Of Routine and Detail, .
and his text was taken from Luke xvi, 10: HE
that is faithful in that which is least is faithful
also in much and he that is unjust in the least
is unjust alse in much" He said:
We love to do great things. If a clock could
feel 1t would always be happiest when 1t strikes
twelve. We are. It would be very agreeable to
accomplish astounding results and make m aster-
strokes every day, rather than perform ordinary
duties, and work out tedious details The old
Hill wheel is nice thing for sen timent and poetry
1t looks pretty in picture, and rhymes nicely
verse. But few like to be mill whees; every
BODY wants to be Coriss engine. People
not thought to be much, and are not considered
70 Dc doing much, unless they make stir of one
kind or another. imagine it must be crafty
ing TO . man to have the papers print in great
nead-Ines his name in connection with some
oashing business transaction that startles the
commercial world. 1t must be pleasant to
yourself written up AZ the head and brains of q
great syndicate; to have it said that you on
run out w est here to buy up a railroad or two;
and with a magnificent wave to pass over checks
and bonds whose figures are millions Perhaps.
oven, there is degree of compiacency when
your bubble bursts and you paralyze bust
ness for an hour or two by the magnfcence Of
Your failure, emphasizing the startling fact that
you are an unmitigated fraud. Eminence
10 everything to some people. even
II they only climb up to tumble down.
Like Satan in Millions conception, . bad eminence
Is TO them throne of royal state, and they will
struggle up to it and ali its badness rather than
remain on a common level with ordinary people.
humanity is hungry for notoriety. So eager
are we to be famous that we even gladly devour
the crumbs the MAJ este newspapers throw to
US more ordinary people when they honor us
with mention among their personals" even
though 1t be with only q line or two of nonpareil
type. 1t is pleasure to have the public parayzed
with the information that we left the morn
ing train to visit friend in the next town, or
a. dfrO for Anv1 INT his nj xy nc
somebody's guest. If the reporter happens to
miss lis. we see to it that We get our rights the
next time we go or come. Our entrance or exit
being thus formally announced, we can under
stand how the famous people in Europe feel
when they are presented with the keys of the
cry by the Lord Mayor, and are given the free
dom of the town / know public speaker who
always wanted to make the first address any
general meeting, that those coming after him
might quote him or refer to what he had said.
and he was nightly provoked liz no one echoed
him. The young Beniamite Saul is too much of
an ideal, simply because when he stood among
the people. he was higher than the people from
his shoulders and upwards
SO there are those that are happy if they can
top it over Others be it never little, in mental
requirements or social standing, by the wealth
gauge or the glory of the family name
In this free American air it s always anus
ing to hear n reference to this that family
plain people, but good" There is always such
makes one wish there were more plain people
but good to feed such innocent vanity. In such
self-complacent presence who does not feel
plain and teeblv wish he were good, tool
Looking out on certain phases of life one is
sometimes struck with the general restlessness
and dissatisfaction there is with slow and meas
ured, reasonable progress. Even our little chill
dren prefer to play steam engine to anything
else. And our children at school must have their
average lit.e higher than somebody ese
Quick wealth. dazzling business transactions.
vaulting suddenly into great power flashing
into notoriety, waking up famous. do
ing great and wonderful things-there is good
deal of this kind of fever in the world. And
somehow. in spite of ourselves it is often con-
tagous. Sometimes it becomes epidemic in
community, or at certain seasons it comes and
goes like the drought or hot wave.
Across all this haste towards emine nee, this
for wealth, this pride of accomplishment this
hunger for notorlety, this impotence with ordi-
nary routine and common-pl place living, the Mas
ter cuts q broad swath giving the divine estimate
of life. BLESSED the poor in spirit for theirs
is the kingdom of heaven;" BLESSED are the
meek, for they shall inherit the earth - blessed
are they that hunger and thirst after righteous
ness for they shall be filed" Take heed and
beware OF covetousness, for a mans life consist
possesseth." 'Thou fool, this night thu soul
shall be required of thee" = Then whose shall
these things be which thou hast provided"
Man shall not live by bread alone but by
every word that proceeGeth out of the mouth of
God" 'He that is faithful in that which is least,
10 faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in
the least is unjust also in much. It is not in the
startling and dazzling things that the divine
idea of excellence lies. but in the integrity of de-
tail, in conscientious working in every day mat
tiers, in devotion to the smaller duties. The Mas
ter exalts the coup of cold water" 1.-The two
mites in the treasury" "the faith-like the
grain of mustard seed" He himself grds a
towel and washes the disciples feet be ennobles
the service of others by his word and example.
1.-THE Son of Man is not come to be minissered
unto, but to minister"
In the light of Gods perfection and in the
glow of the gospel of Jesus Christ the words of
the Master rise to the highest dignity He
that is faithful in that which is least is faithful
ole yoy uhA,1A be Port s0
us who are ordinary, commonplace people to hear
the Master say this. We cannot do great things;
we will never buy and sell railroads: we will
never dazzle the world by our achievements;
We have not great names that the world APP
plauds; no band will play for us, See the con-
Qusring hero comes" Well, what of thatl The
highest authority that has ever spoken has de-
clared that the line of true greatness lies in the
direction of faithfuness and integrity in little
things, conscientiousness in the discharge
Of every duty; and in the details of right
eousness. true philosopher has said lit
seems very certain that the world is to grow bet
ter and richer in the future. however it has been
in the past. not by the magnificent achievements
of the highly gifted few. but by the patient faith
fulness of the ordinary many"
Men and women, whether our lives lead along
the heights or down along the plain, what we want
Is faithful obedience to this great divine law of
res ponsibility. faithful, conscientious. devoted
TO whatever sphere you ap-
pointed. 1t does seem to me that after such |
terrible week a has just passed, we gather |
no more profitable lesson than that from |
Lords words. 1t may be great thing to send |
out from your depot a train of thousand ex-
cursionists and turn with disdain upon the |
gneers protest against the make up of the train.
1t may be very brilliant TO get up cheap excur- |
sion that shall pay we'll into the treasury; but |
human life is worth something, too And it does |
seem reasonable to ask that every precaution |
should be taken TO protect it and guard against |
every possibility of accident 1t is doubt |
very satisfactory for a road to make large profits
at little expense, to save repairs to the last
nent We call that good housekeeping; but il
IS more good, to say the least. wait until q
great excursion train filled with 1,500 children, |
runs the rickety old Vincennes bridge.
which says under its burden. We expect
ships rock, but have q fixed impression that
> railroad bridge should not stagger like drunk
IN man. Human freight, even il 1t is poor
,hildren's picnic. is not just the kind of mate
rial that men of ordinary humane principle care